A SIMULATION EXERCISE
MATERIALS
2
dishes or bowls for hand washing (paper bowls with water)
2
liquid to drink (use bottled water for ease)
2 food
to eat (something easy)
2
chairs
SEQUENCE OF THE EXERCISE –
PART 1 SIMULATION
Choose 2 girls and 2 boys to participate in this simulation
exercise. Explain their role in
this exercise but do not explain any of the historical content behind the true
Albatrossian culture until after the discussion has ensued.
A male and female Albatrossian
sit in their places with the male on the chair and the female kneeling beside
him. Females with shoes off and males with shoes on.
All communication attempts during
the exercise are done by a clicking sound or by touch only – no speaking
is allowed. The Albatrossians
always maintain unsmiling (but serene,
and pleasant) expressions, and do not register in facial reactions their
various feelings or responses to what may go on around them.
The Albatrossian females
simultaneously retrieve a bowl of water and bring it back to the male and
assume their kneeling positions.
Each male in dips the fingers of his right hand into the bowl and lifts
or waves the hand about gracefully to dry. The womenÕs hands are not washed. The females return the bowl of water to
the table and then returns to her place for a minute before beginning the next activity. When they return, the males lower the
heads of the women so that they are looking toward the ground.
She then — upon a clicking
cue from the man — rises to retrieve food and offers the food to each
male in turn first before offering the food to the other female. She sticks her hands into the food and
stuffs a little into the mouths of each male. Upon being fed the Albatrossian man indicates his appreciation by a rubbing of
the stomach. Afterwards, she then offers the food to the other female. She returns the food to the table and
then she returns to her kneeling position next to the Albatrossian man. During these pauses, which should
be prolonged for effect, the Albatrossian man gently pushes the womanÕs head
from time to time downward as she
kneels.
Next follows the serving of
drink. In the same manner, the
Albatrossian woman gives the cup to the Albatrossian man to drink from first then he rubs
his belly in satisfaction before the drink is offered to the females. The females then take the drinks back
and return to their place and resume their
kneeling posture.
After another pause, the two Albatrossian males indicate to
the kneeling females to follow them, and the four people leave the area, concluding the first part of the
exercise.
CULTURAL ASSUMPTIONS AND RATIONALE
– PART 2 EXTENDED DISCUSSION QUESTIONS BELOW
As elaborated later, part of the
point of the Albatross exercise is to provide an opportunity for people to
learn by observation, to infer
meaning from the totality of what happened. Since this Òcultural observationÓ aspect is important, it is
best to conduct
the exercise with as much consistency as possible, within some frame of
reference agreed on by all Albatrossian
performers. Following are
some of the ÒstandardÓ cultural assumptions, which usually are in play, and
which the participants
have the problem of figuring out as the exercise goes on.
Though the exercise is
deliberately set up to indicate otherwise to an American audience, in fact the
Albatrossian society values
women above men. The Earth is
sacred; all fruitfulness is blessed; those (thus women) who bring life into
being are one with
the Earth, and only they are able (by virtue of their inherent qualities) to
walk directly upon the ground.
Thus, men must wear
shoes, and thus their greeting does not deal with the Earth, where that of
women emphasizes the ground and feet. Only women are able to prepare and
offer the fruits of the Earth. The roles
of men and women in the society reflect this relationship to Earth, though to
the new observer it may appear as if
other meanings are present.
For example, the fact that the Albatrossian man pushes down the head of
the kneeling Albatrossian
woman is a pursuit of his obligations in the society; it is his duty to remind
her of sacredness, to approach it
through her, to protect her from forgetfulness. He drinks and eats first and walks
ahead to protect her (and all that she represents) from harm or defilement.
Albatrossians have a language,
though only some part of it is required or used in the greeting ceremony (the
clicks, hums, hisses). It may be useful to approach the language
question on another assumption: that Albatrossians communicate via mental telepathy, and that the
few sounds they use are mainly means of getting a personÕs attention. The society values calm,
serenity, stateliness. The Albatrossians are peaceful, welcoming of strangers,
generous, loving and
tolerant. They eat and drink
things which they like (though they may not agree with the taste of foreign
visitors). Their patterns
of life and their ceremonies (such as the greeting ceremony) are time-honored
and are considered to be self-evidently correct and adequate.
This last is important. It is important for the Albatrossians
to bear in mind (and for participants to realize later in discussion) that what is, is
– and that Albatrossians are no different from any other people in the
world making the unconscious assumption
that they are Ònormal.Ó Thus, they
assume that any visitors to their village want to be greeted in the same
manner, that the visitor knows as
well as they what is correct (though they are tolerant and gently
correcting of lapses); for example: that the woman with the largest feet among visitors is completely in
accord with the necessity of her selection, etc.
DISCUSSION
OF THE ALBATROSS
1. What Happened? (Early exploration – no confirmation
or denial)
2. Objective Observations (Tell
participants to screen out own feelings and reactions, and tell
only what they observed. This can be written on newsprint)
a. What did you see happen?
b. What did the Albatrossian man
do? What did the woman do?
c. Describe the Albatrossian
language.
3. Personal Feelings and
Reactions
a. What did you feel as you
participated in this exercise?
b. What, in your opinion, is the
role of the Albatrossian woman in the societyÉThe Albatrossian male? Why?
c. What are some similarities
between your culture and the Albatrossian culture? Some differences?
At this point, you can explain
the underlying values of the Albatrossian culture.
4. How participants use their own
cultural biases to analyze what is happening
a.
How do your preconceptions or current perspective affect our cultural
perceptions?